Miles Eques
Miles Eques was a Mythic man. From "Miles Backstory" King's name: Meosin King's four children: Arasen (eldest), Hyani, Meorn, and Regina. Miles was born in the Mythic’s kingdom, the son of Woen Eques, Captain of the Knights. His mother became very sick when he was young and died. (When he was fifteen) His father remarried and sired Mucro, Miles’ half-brother. Miles was trained by his father in the art of swordplay and firecast, as well as the lessons and virtues of the Mythic Tradition. He was raised as a high class member of the King’s court. Disturbed by what he felt to be the King’s cowardice, he ran away from home at the age of fifteen, taking with him his father’s sword, plus the king’s children: three boys (yet to be named) and a girl Regina. As skilled hunters, they lived off the land, in the woods. During that time, Miles began to have sexual relations with Regina, unbeknownst to her brothers. While on a hunt, a Feredog (the creature called Rgou by the vena; very rare in the forest where Miles stayed) strayed near them. Miles attacked the creature mercilessly, killing it slowly. He kept the skin and skull as a cape and mask, to be a symbol of his strength. From there, he adopted the nickname Feredog. At 17, Miles became restless in the forest, and wanting to do something earth-shaking, instead of hide, he decided to return home. There he and the others were welcomed well, and returned to the king’s court. Everyone in town, it seemed, wanted for their lives to return to the way they were. Miles, however, still believed the king to be a coward. Miles thought he understood Cehr’s strength, and believed that Cehr could not be stopped, but should be allied with. He thought that the siege against Cehr, which had lasted for so long, was a waste of time and lives. Though many agreed with him (including Ursin, who was attempting to incite revolution, and place himself as king), the king could not be swayed, even after his oldest son went to war and was killed. In the meantime, Miles was old enough to be sent as a soldier, himself, and feared for his own life. When he addressed this concern to the king, the king told him that he grieved the loss of any blood, but deemed it a necessary sacrifice. Miles, bitter and a hardened by the death of his friend, decided to put the king’s claim to the test. Over the course of months, in the disguise of his Feredog skull and cape, he sneaked out by night and murdered townspeople. At first, his targets were soldiers and guards, but as time and his rage progressed, his victims graduated toward ordinary people and families – even children. (including, maybe, his own stepmother. She has to die at some point around here; Mucro is weaned, and it would add great emotional tension.). The remaining children of the king joined him, donning grisly paint, and going with him in their quest to shake the earth, to destroy the king’s war. Dozens died at their hands. At the climax of their rampage, Miles felt he could not satisfy his desire, unless he killed the king. The king’s children agreed, and the conspiracy was made. The king’s security was reinforced because of the danger, but the group was able to bypass most of the guards, and cut straight to the king’s chamber. It wasn’t customary to have a guard standing immediately outside the king’s bedroom door, yet there was one, dressed in a different manner of armor from the others. The group, though a bit confused about this guard (and fearing a little that their plan had been somehow discovered), felt confident that they could kill him. They drew their weapons, and attacked, but the single guard fought with amazing skill – his skin, sword, and armor began to glow and increased in brightness throughout the battle – and quickly disarmed each of them, and last sliced off Miles’ mask. Where the solitary guard’s sword had grazed Miles’ face, was left a thin burn wound (which later healed to be a scar of healthier tissue than the rest of his face – a narrow strip of skin which remained soft and never wrinkled or blemished, but burned with energy when touched). Out of shock and disbelief, Miles dropped to his knees. The guard lifted him by his shoulders, looked him into the eyes, and uttered a whisper which felt as if it could shake the ground (though none of the others could understand it). Miles’ body went limp, and he was to appearances, dead. The guard then left. The children of the king, mortified, took Miles back to his father’s house. There, they and his father, found that though he could not move or breathe, his eyes were still moving. They explained to Woen and the king what they had done, each ready (and secretly hoping) for the death sentence. Meanwhile, Miles was re-experiencing the murders he had committed, from the eyes of his victims. With each one, he felt greater and greater despair and pain, certain that he was doomed to an eternity of his guilt, (the words the solitary guard had spoken were understood by Miles as “Miles Eques, son of Woen Eques, I am Mitarii the North Star. The blood on your hands causes us great grief, for this people which you seek to destroy is ours, and we can no longer watch while you destroy it and yourself. Behold the strength that is ours, sent by those even greater than us.”) until he remembered the teachings of his father of forgiveness and glorification from the Eldest Star. Miles plead in his heart for forgiveness from the Eldest Star for his every crime, not knowing how to repair the damage, but extending every piece of himself into the promise of giving his life again to help the cause of the stars. After two days and nights, and all in a moment, the pain was gone, replaced with peace, and Miles breathed again, telling his father and friends that he had been forgiven. Woen knighted him that morning. The king believed Miles, and trusted that the Knight’s Oath, which he had taken, was proof of a change of heart. He was legally pardoned from his crimes. The others, the king’s children, were imprisoned. Miles visited them often, and invited them to make the same repentance which he had made. Miles also took it upon himself to confess himself to the families of those he had killed, apologize, and offer whatever feeble sort of restitution he could manage. Most dealt with him angrily, or didn’t want to talk about it. Some demanded money. However, one woman named Belle, a sickly young woman whose brother (her means of support) was killed, simply told him “I don’t forgive you...yet.” Belle asked Miles to do odd jobs around her house, and every day, he did so. Hyani and Meorn, the two sons of the king who were in prison, repented and became knights as well (though Regina still refused). They and Miles were sent to the siege against Cehr. Upon arriving, Miles felt an immense grief for the Mythics who were imprisoned in the Order. Feeling prompted by the stars, he disobeyed his commander who forbade him to attempt a rescue. Wielding his sword, and without the others, he was granted Star Fire. A flank of armed stars appeared at his side, led by Mitarii. He entered the palace and fought against an army which quickly switched from defense to retreat. Every Mythic who had been captured by Cehr was rescued. Miles' commander was furious, but his father, the captain of the knights was greatly pleased, knowing that the stars only granted star fire to few. Miles was promoted to Lieutenant (change name to something cooler, but still means second-in-command). Meanwhile news of Miles being the murderer, and the king’s pardon, spread around the city. Many were outraged by it, and Ursin the revolutionary (a sleight-of-hand street magician, who wanted to take the throne for himself) used that outrage to rally people into revolution against the king. All soldiers were called back from the siege to fight against the revolutionaries. Woen, Miles' father wasv killed in a battle, and Miles (18) became the youngest captain in history as well as Mucro's guardian. Belle, after hearing about Miles' triumph, announced her forgiveness of him. She assisted in caring for Mucro (who was 3 years old). Upon Miles' recounting of the story, Regina decided to repent and become a knight as well. She was knighted at Miles' own hand. The fighting in the city lasted for ten years, through the course of which, King Meosin, Hyani and Meorn were killed (Meosin by an assassin, and Hyani and Meorn in battle). Regina was crowned queen amid, and with Miles' help, they managed to quell the revolutionaries, and bring peace again to the city. (Idea to toy with: Ursin, now an old man, was killed by 13-year old Mucro, perhaps after Hyani's death). Belle and Miles courted and were married after the war was over. Belle, however, was unable to have children. Twenty years of prosperity followed. Belle dies late in, and Mucro gets married sometime in here. Miles marries Regina, and they have a son, a spellweaver whom they named Murest. From "Backstory Complex" During the battle between the Knights and the Order, Miles was forcibly captured. He was taken to Lycin the Betrayer, and was fitted with a shackle. He was placed as a guard of his son Murest (Lycin) but was not allowed contact with the child. When Custo was admitted to the Order, and sought nearness to the infant Murest, he encountered Miles and was impressed by his retention of willpower. Though he could not break the shackle, Custo helped Miles to defy Caer’s control. Miles felt guided to leave the Order, which he was reluctant to do, as Murest was still there. Custo insisted that he stay, denouncing Miles’ religious beliefs. Miles felt certain he had to leave, however. He fought his way out of the Order, then rallied his strength to cloak his location from Caer, and defend against the force applied to kill him through the shackle. This was exhausting, and Miles wandered, delirious, until he collapsed. He was found by Keku and Yiri, a couple of Skefvena-descended rogues, who cared for him, nursed him back to health, and taught him to speak Vol. After a year in their care, he had recovered enough, that he felt he had to move on. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but he went where he felt directed, until he came near the Raivena. The vena captured him, and tied him to a tree, where he was interrogated by Salai. From her, he learned of the vena’s prejudice toward humans. Salai threatened to kill him, but he convinced her to stay her hand. Miles was kept as a prisoner, and the vena didn’t know exactly what to do about him. During this time, Sann and the Rolvena came seeking refuge and help. During the battle, Miles burned through his bands, and went to assist the vena. He used firecast to fight the cult guards, and not one vena was killed. Because of his assistance, Salai granted Miles permission to stay with the tribe. From fear, however, he was forbidden to use firecast. Miles realized how badly the vena needed a knight, being so close to such evil as the Cult and Order. He wanted to train one, and Sann seemed a likely candidate. Sann, however, lost interest in Miles’ ethics, and Salai forbade Miles to teach the Raivena hunters.